The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-27

| each year,
And the springs of that river are cider and
beer?
| Harmless? Cider and beer?
I think it is queer.
When boys are so sharp, and the stuff is so
| vile,
That they'll fool ,cith the mocker, and find
out toolate
That wine, beer, and cider are only deaths
gate.
Now the cider and beer
| You have no need to fear
If you'll boycott them, boys, and get up q
| strike,
That You never, no, never, will help, or 60
! near
| The places where men sell the cider and beer.
E. j. Richmond, in Temperate Banner.
Effects Of the Liquor Traffic on
Wages.
"Hard times" is common cry nova.
days, especially among mechanics and
laboring men.
Low wages is common complaint,
and "strikes," :" 'lock-outs," etc., are the
results of this dissatisfied feeling among
the working men.
And yc; 1T is fact that the working
man is the greatest consumer of liquor
and the estanchest supporter Of the traffic
and its agents, and if we were to tell him
that the liquor traffic is largely the cause
of low wages, and the so-called depres-
sion in business, he would probably sneer
and disbelieve the statement.
According to the Government figures,
we brewed and sold in the United States
last year 642, 900, 900 gallous of beer. If
we assume that each glass contains half a
pint (Which they do not by long shot,
we find that we spent for beer, during
year of hard times, the enormous sum of
over five hundred and thirteen million
dollars.
For 7O,76S, 900 gallons of whisky we
spent $44O, 900, 900!
These figures do not include wines
made in the United States, nor do they
include the spirits, wines, ales, etc., i'm
ported into this country. These amount
annually to over fifty millions of dol
lars!
Add these sums together, and we find
that we spent last year over one thousand
million dollars for intoxicating liquor.
But you will say, what has this to do
with wagess these statements only show
that men spend their money foolishly,
after they have earned it.
One hundred dollars spent in the goods
named pays to the workingman the pro-
portion stated opposite:
Boots and shoes. II
Clotnlng.. g..................... 10 81
Furmture.. ......... ..............".... "a II
But if he spends $1OO for liquor, he
has only paid to the workingman $1.2S.
According to tbs brewers and distil-
lers' own figures, furnished to the census
enumerators in 1880, the total wages paid
by them for one year was only fifteen
million dollars, and this included the
wages of men not directly employed in
the manufacture of the accursed stuff.
Now, it is pretty well known that the
men who spend their money for liquor
do not spend great deal for food,
clothes, furniture, carpets, boots and
shoes.
If this money-one thousand million
dollars-now "worse than wasted" in the
purchase of liquor, was directed into the
channels of legitimate trade, and would
be, as it ought to be and would if the
saloons were closed, in the purchase of
good food, good clothing, furniture, car
pets, etc., it would return to the work.
ingman not less than 5000, 900, 900, in
stead of less than $15, 1000, 900, as it does
now.
Nor would this be all. The figures
given above do not include the wages of
statesmen, etc.; they simply mean the
amounts paid the workingmen for the
manufacture.
A liquor store that sells $500 worth Of
liquor per day would not require but one
or two bartenders; but retail dry goods
or boot and shoe store that sold that
amount daily would require the services
of at least double the number of statesmen
that the saloon does.
T. V. Powderly, Master Workman of
the Knights of Labor, says: "Close the
rum-shops, and there will not be an idle
mill or factory in the whole country,
and the railroads cannot handle the busi-
ness"
1t is true, absolutely true. Close the
saloons; start the mills; spend the money
for food, clothing, and the comforts and
luxuries of life, and there will be no "hard
times" no depression of business" but
sober men and happy hones.-Central
Good Templar.
1.-THE Saloon is a Tiger"
Rev. DR.. Crosby, in his speech not
long since on high license, asked the ques-
tion of his audience, if it would not be
better TO restrict tiger to certain To-
cality than to give him the freedom of a
whole city, whcrcupon good brother
replied with stentorian voice: "Shoot